The North Stars are on the road this week as they head to Melfort today and then La Ronge on weekend. (Byron Hildebrand/Facebook)

By Austin Mattes

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The Battlefords North Stars are on the road for three games this week starting tonight as they head to the Northern Lights Palace in Melfort to take on the defending SJHL champions, Melfort Mustangs.

After winning both games against Notre Dame this past week, the North Stars are currently tied for second in the Nutrien division with a 6-3-1 record for 13 points and are also tied for fourth best in the league.

The Mustangs are currently first in the Sherwood division and tied for second in the league with an 8-2 record and 16 points. This is the first time the North Stars and Mustangs will faceoff this season.

Last season against Melfort, the North Stars struggled going 0-3-1 against the Mustangs, but over the past five seasons it’s been close to even. The North Stars have been more successful going 7-3-2-1 against Mustangs.

This season, the Mustangs have been led by forwards Logan Belton and Reilley Kotai. Belton currently has six goals and nine assists in 10 games this season and has had a point in every single game except for one. Kotai on the other hand, who is the brother of Battlefords North Stars Alumni Goalie, Josh Kotai, has five goals and eight assists in only nine games this season.

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On the back end for the Mustangs, it’s been SJHL veterans Nicholas Andrusiak and Ty Thorton who have been leading the charge. Andrusiak has three goals and nine assists this season and has been a huge presence on the blue line for the team. Then standing at 6-3, Thorton is a big defensive body who has four goals and five assists this season for the Mustangs.

Heading into this game for the North Stars, it has been Nikita Ivashchenko, Anthony Campbell, Jackson Allan and Rylan Williams who have all been the big offensive threats for the team.

The Ukrainian product, Ivashchenko currently leads the team in points with 14 (four goals, 10 assists) and has had a point in every single game except for one.

Four-year veteran Jackson Allan currently leads the team in goals with seven and has five assists for 12 points overall.

Anthony Campbell has also been a force with six goals and six assists so far this season for 12 points.

Rylan Williams also has 12 points on the season with four goals and eight assists and had a point in every single game except for one.

Another player who has been a big star for the North Stars is goalie Justen Maric, who just returned from the AJHL and has been on fire. In his first two games back, he claimed two wins, maintained a 1.00 GAA, .965 SV%, was named SJHL Goalie of the Week and on top of that, also had what could possibly go down as the best save of the season.

After tonight’s game, the North Stars will have a couple days off before they are on the road again on Friday and Saturday to face off against the La Ronge Ice Wolves at the Mel Hegland Uniplex.

This will be the third and fourth time the North Stars and Ice Wolves will play each other this season, with the other two games being won by the North Stars.

The Ice Wolves currently sit in third place in the Sherwood division with a 5-5-1 record and their two players to watch out for are Hudson Cameron and Mason Bueckert.

Cameron and Bueckert are both three-year veterans of the SJHL and with that experience they have been big contributors all around for their team.

On the season, Cameron has five goals and four assists for nine points and Bueckert has two goals and five assists for seven points.

These games against Melfort and La Ronge will be a good test for the North Stars as both teams play a physical hard style of hockey and have lots of veteran experience.

The North Stars also acquired 19-year-old defenceman, Logan Goodwin from the Melville Millionaires this past week via trade in exchange for a player development fee. Goodwin had one assist in seven games for the Millionaires this season.

You can listen to tonight and Friday’s game on CJNB/CJNS and Saturday’s game on 93.3 Beach Radio. Puck drop for all the games this week is 7:30 p.m.

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Austin.mattes@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @AustinMattes